Furnace vs Boiler in Cook County, Illinois
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ductwork, a furnace is the straightforward choice. It heats the air and pushes it through the ducts you have, with no new distribution system to install. With winter nights here averaging 20°F for months at a stretch, you want a system that matches what's already built into the walls and floors.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ducts, a boiler is the machine built for that setup. It runs about 5% cheaper to operate here than a furnace, which adds up over the roughly 8 months a year this area needs heat. It makes the most sense in a house that never had ductwork put in to begin with.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ductwork, a furnace is the straightforward choice. It heats the air and pushes it through the ducts you have, with no new distribution system to install. With winter nights here averaging 20°F for months at a stretch, you want a system that matches what's already built into the walls and floors.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ducts, a boiler is the machine built for that setup. It runs about 5% cheaper to operate here than a furnace, which adds up over the roughly 8 months a year this area needs heat. It makes the most sense in a house that never had ductwork put in to begin with.
Furnace
- Runs on
- Natural gas
- What it does
- Heats only
- Tax credit
- No federal tax credit since the end of 2025
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy · Internal Revenue Code
Boiler
- Runs on
- Natural gas
- What it does
- Heats only
- Tax credit
- No federal tax credit since the end of 2025
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy · Internal Revenue Code
Furnace wins in Cook County.
In the Great Lakes states, 78.8% of homes heat with a furnace, so most already have the ductwork it needs.
If your home already has radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ductwork, a boiler is still the better choice.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Furnace | Boiler |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | About 5% less to run |
| What it does | Heats only | Heats only |
| Homes in the Great Lakes states that heat with one | 78.8% | 7.7% |
| Handles a 20°F night | Yes | Yes |
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, NOAA
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ductwork, a furnace is the straightforward choice. It heats the air and pushes it through the ducts you have, with no new distribution system to install. With winter nights here averaging 20°F for months at a stretch, you want a system that matches what's already built into the walls and floors.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home heats through radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ducts, a boiler is the machine built for that setup. It runs about 5% cheaper to operate here than a furnace, which adds up over the roughly 8 months a year this area needs heat. It makes the most sense in a house that never had ductwork put in to begin with.
A Cook County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.